Method of increasing filling power of tobacco products

Abstract

Through interaction with the pectinaceous materials of tobacco smoking products, increased filling power of tobacco constituents is accomplished, in accordance with the present invention, by means of maintaining the tobacco, usually in shredded form, in an expanded form by applying, in solution thereto, multivalent metal and organic acid salts, especially those salts found in the hydrated form. The multivalent salt additives cause the pectinaceous materials of the tobacco to retain the expanded bulk volume of the tobacco.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of increasing the filling power of tobacco comprising: applying to said tobacco a solution of a multivalent salt and a solvent wherein said solvent causes said tobacco to expand and wherein said salt so applied constitutes from 0.2% to 7.5% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded; and   drying said expanded tobacco to remove solvent therefrom, said salt causing pectinaceous substances of said tobacco to retain said tobacco in expanded form.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein said salt so applied constitutes from 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 wherein said salt constitutes 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 wherein said salts are selected from the group of organic acid salts consisting of calcium acetate, calcium gluconate, calcium levulinate, aluminum citrate, potassium titanium oxalate, individually and in combinations thereof. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 4 wherein said salts constitute from 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       6. The method of claim 4 wherein said salts constitute 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1 wherein said multivalent salts are selected from the group of multivalent metal salts consisting of aluminum sulfate, potassium aluminum sulfate, ammonium aluminum sulfate, magnesium sulfate, diammonium magnesium sulfate and ferrous sulfate, individually and in combinations thereof. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 wherein said salts constitute 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 7 wherein said salts constitute 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       10. The method of claim 1 wherein said multivalent salts are selected from the group consisting of hydrates of said multivalent salts. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10 wherein said salts constitute 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim 10 wherein said salts constitute 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 10 wherein said salts are selected from the group of hydrated salts consisting of Al 2  (SO 4 )3.18H 2  O, KAl(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2  O, NH 4 .Al(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2  O and K 2  TiO(C 2  O 4 ) 2 .2H 2  O, individually and in combinations thereof. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 13 wherein said hydrated salts, individually and in combinations thereof, comprise from 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 13 wherein said hydrated salts, individually or in combination, comprise 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 10 wherein said hydrate salt is aluminum sulfate in hydrated form. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrated aluminum sulfate constitutes 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16 wherein said hydrated aluminum sulfate constitutes 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 1 wherein said salt is a salt of a multivalent metal cation selected from the group consisting of cations of aluminum, calcium, magnesium, titanium, zinc, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and tin individually and in combinations thereof. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 19 wherein said salts, individually and in combinations thereof, comprise from 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 19 wherein said salts, individually and in combinations thereof, comprise 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 1 wherein said salt is a salt of an organic acid anion selected from the group consisting of said anions of citric, lactic, oxalic, succinic, malonic, malic, tartaric, adipic, glycolic, fumaric, ascorbic, aspartic, glutamic, tannic and gallic acids, individually and in combinations thereof. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 22 wherein said salts, individually and in combinations thereof, comprise 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23 wherein said salts, individually and in combinations thereof, comprise 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       25. An improved tobacco filler of expanded shredded tobacco wherein the improvement comprises expanded pectinaceous substances of said tobacco bound by multivalent salts, consisting 0.2% to 7.5% by dry weight of said tobacco filler, selected from the group consisting of aluminum sulfate, magnesium sulfate, diammonium magnesium sulfate, potassium aluminum sulfate, aluminum citrate, calcium acetate, calcium levulinate, calcium sulfamate and calcium gluconate individually and in combinations thereof, to retain said expansion. 
     
     
       26. The improved tobacco filler of claim 25 wherein said salts comprise from 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco filler. 
     
     
       27. The improved tobacco filler of claim 25 wherein said salts comprise 3% by dry weight of said tobacco filler. 
     
     
       28. The improved tobacco filler of claim 25 wherein said salts are hydrated salts Al 2  (SO 4 ) 3 .18H 2 ), KAl(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2  O, NH 4  Al(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2  O and K 2  TiO(C 2  O 4 ) 2 .2H 2  O. 
     
     
       29. An improved, uniformly treated expanded tobacco filler of blended, shredded tobacco constituents wherein the improvement comprises expanded pectinacious materials of said filler constituents bound by at least one salt, consisting of 0.2% to 7.5% by dry weight of said tobacco filler, selected from the group consisting of Al 2  (SO 4 ) 3 .18H 2  O, KAl(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2  O, NH 4  Al(SO 4 ) 2 .12H 2  O, K 2  TiO(C 2  O 4 ) 2 .2H 2  O and Ca(CH 3  COO) 2  to retain said expansion. 
     
     
       30. The improved tobacco filler of claim 29 wherein said salt constitutes 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco filler. 
     
     
       31. The improved tobacco filler of claim 29 wherein said salt constitutes 3% by dry weight of said tobacco filler. 
     
     
       32. An improved tobacco filler of expanded shredded tobacco wherein the improvement comprises expanded pectinaceous substances of said tobacco bound by calcium acetate constituting 0.2% to 7.5% by dry weight of said tobacco filler. 
     
     
       33. The improved tobacco filler of claim 32 wherein said calcium acetate comprises 1% to 4% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded. 
     
     
       34. The improved tobacco filler of claim 32 wherein said calcium acetate comprises 3% by dry weight of said tobacco to be expanded.